[Jeff Higgins]

"The best horse in the world is somebody else's horse."

Some great advice above from these who have been there, done that, or are still doing it.

I did not "grow up" with horses, I left that to many of my local cousins. I have been riding since I was pretty young, since so many cousins had them. I well remember what Greg refers to above - "horse jail". My poor cousins that were encumbered with these things simply had no time for anything else. What many might see as an "idyllic" childhood, growing up in wide open spaces with these kinds of animals, really wasn't so much for them.

Fast forward to adulthood and my brother in law and his wife. They have been horse people for as long as I have known them. Their entire existence is centered around their horses. Can't go anywhere without them or do anything else without them unless they can find someone to either stay at their place of board their horses. A pretty mono-focused existence, too much so for me. I love visiting and riding, but I sure like leaving as well. A really, really big commitment...